Availability of Kodak b/w chemistry?

back alley said:
that's unfortunate as ilford still actively supports b&w film & chemicals and even introduces the odd new product.
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Agreed Joe. But Ilford is expensive, Ilfotec HC uses up a little quicker and the HC-110 lasts forever.
 
peter_n said:
Agreed Joe. But Ilford is expensive, Ilfotec HC uses up a little quicker and the HC-110 lasts forever.
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i never checked the prices here. i dislike kodak for a number of reasons and don't even bother to look. we get a fair amount of english goods here so i wonder if we pay less?

joe
 
I ordered several small bottles of Rodinal from Freestyle before the final demise of Agfa. I've heard the new bottles have different graphics on the labels, but I don't know when the solution itself was manufactured. Not that it matters.
 
Yes, I'm sure a lot of you won't miss Kodak chemicals, however I will. Been using them for 40 years (along with other brands) and the are predictable, of good quality, and always consistent. I hope this rumor is just a rumor.

HC-110 is a propriatery formula and is not published to my knowledge. It is highly concentrated syrup and probably requires special processes to mix it in such concentration.
 
the sky is falling, too :/ Amazing how people have no shame in posting ridiculous rumors obtained third, fourth, or even fifth-hand, and clearly not embarassed at all they don't have a lick of sense. Why would you advertise how much of a sucker you are?

Gas is going up to ten dollars a gallon tomorrow - a buddy told me he overhead some guy talking about it. Better buy up all the gas you can get, or decide you've always hated gas.
 
Yes, HC-110 is propietary, and that is one reason, aside from its special qualities that I've enjoyed, I would be really sad to see it go. While the exact formula isn't published, there are entries on the web that seem to be pretty good deductions. Not much comfort, but I'd bet it would be picked up by someone if Kodak discontinued it.
 
I think it is safe to say that Kodak will discontinue its BW chemistry the same day it drops its BW films. Producing one without another would not make much sense for them from marketing POV. And it is a bit too early to drop their BW films altogether. So while the choice can dwindle, I would call claims of Kodak dropping all BW chemistry just a rumour.
 
Didn't Kodak officially announce that all chemical photography products were to be phased out over a year ago? I remember reading something to that effect on DP Review.
I don't think it would necessarily be bad for a company to sell only some products for a mature market. Does Rollei sell chemistry or paper? Only film, right? And Kodak already has discontinued their B+W papers.
 
Michael I. said:
I use tetenal which shows no signs of going away.
I recommend ultrafin to everyone.See my blog for results
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You mention 1+20 dilution on your blog so I assume you use what is known as Ultrafin Liquid here and not the Ultrafin Plus I use.

So far the Plus has too much of a compensating effect for me, I have to try different aggitation and developing times next.
Tomorrow I hope to finish a roll HP5 I pushed to EI1600, this should turn out quite well in Ultrafin Plus.
 
Socke said:
You mention 1+20 dilution on your blog so I assume you use what is known as Ultrafin Liquid here and not the Ultrafin Plus I use.

So far the Plus has too much of a compensating effect for me, I have to try different aggitation and developing times next.
Tomorrow I hope to finish a roll HP5 I pushed to EI1600, this should turn out quite well in Ultrafin Plus.
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Yes this is true,I use the liquid 1+20 kind.Very economic.The Plus kind is for Tmax type films. I use it one-shot per 2 films allthought it works for another 2 with a time factor(I sometimes do this when I develop several films in a row). I aggitate every half minute or so. I do it by holding the tank and shaking it by wrist movement for 5-7 seconds then tapping its bottom on the table. I used it to push ilford pan 400 to 800 and got great effect(it looks just as bad as at 400)but that's all the pushing I do.
 
Socke said:
Tomorrow I hope to finish a roll HP5 I pushed to EI1600, this should turn out quite well in Ultrafin Plus.
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I realize this is just "nit picking" but you didn't "push" a roll of HP5 when you exposed it. What you did was underexpose it in a controlled way.

You will only "push" it when you develop it for an extended period of time, or in a high activity developer to compensate for your controlled underexposure.
 
BTW, phototone, I did not mean to disrespect your feelings on the potential loss of Kodak chemistry. We all have favourite workflows to which we become attached; they become part of our art, part of our soul almost. I would feel the same way about Rodinal (nearly lost, or so it seemed) and Kodachrome.
 
Trius said:
BTW, phototone, I did not mean to disrespect your feelings on the potential loss of Kodak chemistry. We all have favourite workflows to which we become attached; they become part of our art, part of our soul almost. I would feel the same way about Rodinal (nearly lost, or so it seemed) and Kodachrome.
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I understand, and from where I am coming from, a background of using D-76 as my primary developer for 30+ years, you kinda get into a groove where you KNOW what to expect, and I tried home-brew D-76 mixing it myself from components, and it just didn't work quite the same. I did a quick look-around on the 'net today, and it is possible to "duplicate" most of what I like to use, but that would be ordering from several vendors. Why does Ilford not sell (for instance) a wetting agent such as Photo-flo? I need Photo-flo. So, while I could use ID-11 as a developer, I would have to order a "wetting agent/final rinse" from another source. I am not sure that Ilford (as an example) has a Rapid Fix w/Hardener similar to Kodak. There again, another "make do" if Kodak is not available.

Perhaps someone will "buy" the Kodak B/W Chemistry Line, just like has been done with the Agfa Chemistry line. A smaller company could make a profit from smaller sales.

I don't expect Kodak film to go away soon, though, it just seems the chemistry may be going away. I use about 100 sheets of 4x5 Ektachrome a month, my volume hasn't decreased in the last few years, due to clients that appreciate the value of large format film for their product photos. I also shoot digital for these same clients, but they want film and digital. Of course I use all the Kodak E-6 processing chemicals to process the Ektachrome in 3 1/2 gallon tanks in a temperature controlled water-bath sink.
 
OK, so there are a lot of people that use developers OTHER than Kodak. That is fine. But.......what do you "users of other developers" do for Fixer and Final Rinse? Do you use alternative products?
 
For fixer, I mix my own from tap water, Sodium Thiosulfate Anhydrous, & Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous. Cheap and works wonderful. Not rapid & certainly not hardening though adding the potassium alum wouldn't be difficult if I did need hardener.

I'll probably be mixing a few different developers in the near future but I veiw that as simply for fun. Diafine & D-76 will both be around for sometime to come I believe.

William
 
phototone said:
I understand, and from where I am coming from, a background of using D-76 as my primary developer for 30+ years, you kinda get into a groove where you KNOW what to expect, and I tried home-brew D-76 mixing it myself from components, and it just didn't work quite the same. I did a quick look-around on the 'net today, and it is possible to "duplicate" most of what I like to use, but that would be ordering from several vendors. Why does Ilford not sell (for instance) a wetting agent such as Photo-flo? I need Photo-flo. So, while I could use ID-11 as a developer, I would have to order a "wetting agent/final rinse" from another source. I am not sure that Ilford (as an example) has a Rapid Fix w/Hardener similar to Kodak. There again, another "make do" if Kodak is not available.

Perhaps someone will "buy" the Kodak B/W Chemistry Line, just like has been done with the Agfa Chemistry line. A smaller company could make a profit from smaller sales.

I don't expect Kodak film to go away soon, though, it just seems the chemistry may be going away. I use about 100 sheets of 4x5 Ektachrome a month, my volume hasn't decreased in the last few years, due to clients that appreciate the value of large format film for their product photos. I also shoot digital for these same clients, but they want film and digital. Of course I use all the Kodak E-6 processing chemicals to process the Ektachrome in 3 1/2 gallon tanks in a temperature controlled water-bath sink.
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unfortunately "packaged" D76 is almost a proprietary formula (from what I understand). It is different from "actual" D76 (the well known original recipe). Kodak supposedly puts other ingredients in the mix to allow it to be packaged in a single pouch. The good thing is it is so simple to make and adjust that you could probably—through experimentation (adjusting the proportions of the ingredients)— find/create the look you're used to.

You can easily mix your own fixer from scratch too. Or use another product, a better one. Photo Formulary has a very nice archival fixer (TF-4?).

.
 
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